Sectional sheet-metal wheel.



} J. F. CRAVEN. Sl-BCTIONAL SHEET METAL WHEEL. APPLIGATION YILED JAN. 15, 1909.

Patented July 20, 1909.

2SHEETSSHEET 1.

- J. P. CRAVEN SEOTIONAL SHEET "ASZTAL WHEEL.

APPLIGATION FILED 11111.15 1909.

EFatnted 5113;; 1909.

2 SHEETS-$133111 2 I Fly. 7.

WITNESSES seine. These body members are press JAMES F. CRAVEN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVAN" SEG'IIONAL SHEE'I VZETAL WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1909.

Application filed January 16, 1989. Serial No. 472,463;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that 1!, Mains F. CRAVEN. a, 1 sident ol' Pitlsburg, in the county of Alle gheny ondSlnl'e of Pennsylvmiia, have invented a now and usel'ul improvement in Sections-l Sheet-Metal \i heels, of which the 'l'ollowing is o specification.

, This invention relates to sectional or split wheels and more particularly to such wheels constructed of sheet metal.

The object of the invention is to provide split wheels, such as pulleys, vehicle wheels or the like l'orinod ol' sheet metal to insure lightness and which are strorw; and can be cheaply and accurately formed.

The invention comprises a. wheel constructed as herein oft-er doscri bed :indcloimed.

In the nceoinpenying drznringg's Figure l is in part a. sido view ond in port a, section transverse to tho ol :1. pulley embodying the invention; Fin. 2 is n section lnlien on the line 3- 2, Fig. i; Fig. 3 is :1V loco VlCW ol the rim where lho two soolions come together; lp'igr. al is o perspective View show-ins: the interlocking at the ends of the rim soc-. tionsy 5 is :1. (gross sci-lion llll'oil ll one oi the spoz cs on tho line 5, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective icv; ol' flportion of one ol the split 'spol .os;nnd l igr. 7 shows one ol' the yohcs lor securing the incmbcrs at lho hub.

in tho drnwin lhc invenlion has been shown embodied in a. scclionnl or split pul ley and the invoniion will .hc described in connection with lho sumo. but it will be nn- (lei-stood that it applies lo n n'hccl ii! any character lorIned of shoe! mood.

The pulley shown ronnfiriscs two equal semi-circularseciions. llnch oi' those sections-is 'l'orinod ol' lwoor tlncc main portions or members, the drawings showing three, nani'oly, n riin member 1, Mid two body or spider members 2 and I). For very light pulleys the rim 'nlenrber may. be omitted. The "body members 2 and 3 are siniilor end l'orrned from sheet metal and are practically oi seini circuler shape. Each comprises a semi-annular control or hub portion 4 having' its edges turned outwardly tol'orrn preeticolly a. tubular hub, in semisonnulnr rim portion 6 Whose edgjos'are turned or flared outwardly as shown in Fig. 2, rind the radial spokeportions 7 extending from the hub portion 6 and forming the union between the d to placed back to back and suitably secured together. This union may be efiected in any suitable way, but preferably as shown in the drawings, namely, by crim ing or folding together the edges-of the sieocs around the openings or holes 9 bounded by the spokes hub and rim portions. The holes in one of these members are somewhat smaller than the holes in the other member, so as to leave a. portion of metal 10 on the one member extending beyond the edge of the metal on the other member, said extended portion being then lapped around and over the edge of the member having the larger hole so as to form the criinped, folded or interlocked joint as shown at ll, Fig. 5. This folded or oiniped joint exten (ls entirely around each opening 9, except git the spokes where the two sections come together as is apparent from Fig, l.

Preferably the extended locking portions 10 art the edges around the openings 9 are formed alternately on. the two members so that the metal on one edge of 2. spoke is folded in one direction and that on the opposite edge of'the spoke isl'olded in the opposite direction. ;l This insures balsncing of the stresses mid n truer pulley, olthorgh it is not absolutely necessary.

By the means described the two body members 2 and b rigidly united to l'orni substantially tubular spokes with looked seznns, thereby securing great strength for the weight of metal employed.

'lhc two sections ollthe pulley are joined, or 'us it might be otherwise described, the pulley is divided through two of the oppositely arranged spokes, the said spokes being divided in a plane transverse to'the. ol' the pulley. The eonsequence is that the spoke member 13 onono leoe'ol' the pulley is a part of one section of the pulley, nosinely,

it part of the body portion 2, While the menu her 14- ol the some spoke (see Fig. 2) is a port of the'hody'melnber 3 ol'the other section of thepulley. In other Words, in each half (3% the pulley the body'member 2 is rovided with e s )oke member 13 on one of its rodiol edges, w rile the other body member 3 of the some half of the pulley is provided with a. similar spoke mem ber 1.3 iii-ranged diametrically opposite to the spoke member on the body member 2, but facing in the opposite direction. The spoke members 1-3 and 1% lie beyond. the radial 'edge portions of the the desired shops in dies and the two are then 1 companion body member 3 or 2 as the case members. Separate spacing members may be employed if desired. The edges of the spoke members 13 and Here obviously not .crimped to ether, as this would prevent se aration of t e pulley, but they are provi ed with slight edge flanges 17 against which the edge of the companion member abuts, thus preventing relative movements of the pulley sections transversely of the axis of the pulley. An interlock against radial movement is secured by providing each spoke member-1' with an edge projection 18 enterin a corre sponding cut away portion 19. in t e flange 17 of the companion spoke member.

The rim 1 will be variedaccording to the character of wheel to be formed. For light wheels the peripheral portions 6 may be turned outwardly to form the wheel face. For heavier pulleys as shown in the drawings the rim is a thin plate having its'edges secured to the edges of the body or spider portion, preferably by beading. The outwardly flaring peripheral edges of the body members are first beaded, as shown at 20, and the edges of the rim member are then beaded over the same], as at21, thus giving a very rigid and strong construction. If desired a strengthening'wire 22 may be and preferably is inclosed in the bead.

The ends of the rim members are of the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4, that is to say, the line dividing the two rim members instead of being a straight line transverse of the rim is staggered or zigzag, having two transverse lines 25 and 26 not in line with each other, and a longitudinal line 27 joining the two transverse lines, the line 27 being in the same plane as the meeting faces of the two spoke members 13 and 14, one of-which is joined to the projecting part 29 of one rim member and the other to the projecting part 30 of the other rim member. Preferably the metal at the edges of the projecting parts 29 and 30 is flanged so as to lie practically radially in the pulley, as shown at 31 in Fig. 4, and giving a better bearing, than would be afforded by the edgesof the thin sheet metal abutting directly.

The hub construction can be of any suitable kind. For very light Work the sheet metal hub can be directly clamped to the shaft. Preferably, however, a castin of other solid semi-tubular hub or bus 'n member 35 will be placed inside of the tubusemi-tubular hub portions and united by means of compression bolts 38.

The construction described provides a pulley or other wheel of very light construction and one which can be cheaply and accurately formed and possessing great strength-for its weight. I The entire wheel is formed of four or six main members, namely, for heav wheels two rim members which are duplicates of each other and four body members which are practically duplicates-except for the difference in the. construction of the spoke members 13 and 14, and the fact that in one of said body members this spoke memher is on one edge and on the other bod member it is on the opposite edge. It therefore require but two sets of dles for makin g the body members. 7

All of the operations in the construction of the pulley can be performed by suitable sheet metal working apparatus, such as dies and beading rolls and according to methods which well understood. The operations can be quickly performed so that the labor cost is low and the light weight of the metal brings the cost of material down-to a low figure. Since practically all of the work is die work a true wheel 'is insured.

What I claim is:

1. A sectional metal wheel comprising hub and rim members and spokes uniting the -same, said wheel being divided through the rim and hub on a plane parallel to the axis of the wheel and through oppositely arranged e wheel, the membe, s of the divided spokes being provided with edge flanges.

2. A sectional metal wheel comprising hub and rim members and spokes uniting the same, said wheel being divided through the rim and hub on a plane parallel to the axis of the wheel and through oppositely arranged spokes on a plane transverse to the axis of the wheel, the meeting faces of the divided spokes interlocking against movement radia ly to the axis of the wheel. I

A sectional metal wheel comprising hub andrim members and spokes unitin the same, said wheel being divided throug the rim and hub on a plane parallel to the axis of the wheel and through oppositely arranged spokes on a plane transverse to the axis of the wheel, the meeting faces of the divided spokes being provided with cooperating projections and depressions to interlock the same against movement radially of the axis of the wheel.

4. A sectional metal wheel comprising hub and rim members and spokes uniting the spokes on'ia plane tr nsverse to the axis of r t same, said wheel being divided through the rim and hub substantially parallel to the ol' the wheel and through oppositely arranged spokes on a plane transverse to the 5 axis of the wheel, said spokes being hollow 1 with one hall thereof fittlng against a flange on. the other half.

5. A. sectional metal wheel comprising rim and hub members and spokes uniting the same, said wheel being divided through oppositely arranged s okes on a plane transverse to the axis of the wheel and through the rim on a staggered line. 4

6. A sectional metal wheel comprising hub and rim members and spokes uniting the same, said. wheel being divided through oppositely arranged spokes on a plane transverse to the axis of the wheel and through the rim on a longitudinal line in the plane di- 2e viding the oppositely arranged spokes and on two transverse lines joining the ends of said longitudinal line.

7. A sectional metal wheel comprising hub and rim members and spokes uniting the same, said wheel being divided through oppositely disposed spokes on a plane trans-,

verse to theaxis of the wheel and through the rim on a longitudinal line in the plane d1- viding the oppositely disposed spokes and two transverse lines extending from the ends of the longitudinal line to tlieedges of the rim, the meeting faces of the divided spokes interlocking r 8. A sectional sheet metal wheel having each section composed of two members each cut out to provide hub and peripheral portions and radial spoke portions, said 'mem bers being suitably united and each section having on one radial edge a hall spoke on one so of said members and on the other radial edge ahalf spoke on the other member.

9. A sectional sheet metal wheel having each section composed of two sheet metal members ea-ch out out to provide hub and other of said members, said hall spokes lying wheel transverse to its axis.

10. A. sectional sheet metal wheel having each section composed of two sheet metal members, each .cut out to provide hub and peripheral portions and radial spoke portions, said members being united by folding together their edges around the openings between hub,. rim and spokes, and having on one radialedge a half spoke formed on one of said members and on the other radial edge'a half spoke formed on the other of said mem be'rs. i v

11. A sectional sheet metal wheel having each section composed of two sheet metal members each cut out to provide hub and peripheral portions and radial spoke portions,

said members being united by folding togather their edge portions around the openings between hub, rim and spokes, and each section having on one radial edge a half spoke formed on one member and on the other radial edge a hall spoke formed on the other member, said half spokes lying on opposite sides of the median plane of the wheel transverse to its axis.

12. A sectional sheet metal wheel com-- prising hub and rim members and tubular spokes integral with the hub and rim members, said wheel being divided through the rim and hub on a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the wheel and through oppositely disposed spokes 'on a plane trans being divided through the rim and hub on a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the wheel and through oppositely disposed spokes on a plane transverse to the axis of the wheel, and interlocking means on the meeting faces of said sections.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. I JAMES ll. CRAVEN.

Witnesses: v

Hknsv DIAMOND, F. W. WINTER. 

